SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS ON THE ROLE OF GOOGLE TRANSLATE IN ENGLISH LEARNING AID
THESIS
BY
ZUKHRUF UMUL PRATIWI NPM 21802073008
UNIVERSITY OF ISLAM MALANG MAGISTER OF ENGLISH EDUCATION
ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING STUDY PROGRAM JULY 2021
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS ON THE ROLE OF GOOGLE TRANSLATE IN ENGLISH LEARNING AID
THESIS
Presented to University of Islam Malang
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Magister in English Education
By
Zukhruf Umul Pratiwi NPM 21802073008
UNIVERSITY OF ISLAM MALANG MAGISTER OF ENGLISH EDUCATION
ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING STUDY PROGRAM JULY 2021
v ABSTRACT
Pratiwi, Zukhruf Umul. 2021. Senior High School Students' Perceptions on the Role of Google Translate in English Learning Aid. Thesis.
English Education Department. Magister of English Education, University of Islam Malang.Advisor: (I) Drs. Alfan Zuhairi, M.Pd.
Key Words: Perception, Google Translate, Learning Aid
Google Translate (GT) as one of the products provided by Google has become a popular translation tool for language students. As English is still considered a foreign language in Indonesia, many Indonesian students use GT to help them in learning English. This tool tends to help the students to get the translation quickly and easily. Therefore, this study was employed to investigate senior high school students' perceptions on the role of Google Translate in English learning aid.
This study employs a survey method. The survey was chosen because this study considered the time and pandemic situation. To collect the information by using a questionnaire and to follow up with interviews for more in-depth data. The involvement of both data from the survey and those from the interview is to obtain more dependable information concerning students' perception toward Google Translate in English learning aid. This study was intended to answer these questions: (1). What are the perceptions of senior high school students about the role of Google Translate in English learning aid? (2). How is the role of Google Translate in higher student level, middle student level, and lower student level?
Furthermore, this study followed up the result of the questionnaire by interviewing 3 out of those 18 participants, which represents 3 levels of students:
higher student, middle student, and lower student. To collect the data
questionnaire was distribute use Google Form media with multiple-choice items, and Whatsapp media to collect interview data.
The findings reveal that most of the students in eleventh Bahasa MA AL- ITTIHAD agreed that Google Translate was easy to use, it was helpful, and gave advantages for their English learning aid for all levels. And students agreed that Google Translate could help them in learning English and they have willing in using Google Translate as an alternative way to learn English because GT can be used not only for translating but also be used to learn sounds or pronunciation. GT is often used to help the process of translating from English to Indonesian.
students must understand the system working of GT is word by word, so they can overcome their weaknesses and produce an accurate translation they must correct by paying attention to grammar and word choice.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT Assalamua'alaikum Wr. Wb.
Alhamdulillahirobbilalamiin, all praise is to the almighty Allah SWT.
Thanks to many people who have directly and indirectly contributed to either my study or the presence of this Thesis. First, a special acknowledgment is addressed for my beloved parent, Mr. Noors (the late) and Mrs. Sriyatin, Mr. Hamid Rusdi, and Mrs. Sabitah. I am indebted to their patience, understanding, and supports.
Second, I want to give special thanks to my thesis advisor, Drs. Alfan Zuhairi, M.Pd. His invaluable comments and suggestion are greatly appreciated.
My gratitude is also to the Director of the Graduate program, Prof. H. M.
Mas'ud Said, M.M., Ph.D. and also to all lecturers of the Graduate Program English Language Teaching Study Program, staff of the office of English Language Teaching Study Program UNISMA who have given me the benefit of knowledge and encouragement during my study in this university.
Also big thank I say to students at eleventh of MA AL-ITTIHAD Poncokusumo who had already given them time and contributed when I conducted the research.
My thanks also I give to my family at home, Aca and Ara (my adorable niece), Achmad Ainul Yaqin, Amelia Khoirunnisa, Ruri Habibatul Amila and Istianatul Isfa'i who have supported and motivated me to finish my study. May Allah rewards all of that. For my best friends Olivia Clara, Melda, Anin, Feni, Nilna, Danafi, Mahfud, Najib, Aulia, Fifin and Furi. I want to say thank you for being my friends who always motivate each other. Also all members of Mr.
Noors Course, and many others that I cannot mention here one by one who gives me support and always motivated me also advising me when I wrote this research and being my friends when I am up and down.
I realize this Thesis is still far from perfect. Therefore, I appreciate any corrections, suggestions, and critics. Finally, I hope this thesis will be a useful reference for further researcher.
Wassalamu'alaikum Wr. Wb.
Malang, 13th July 2021
The Researcher
1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
This study is intended to students’ perception toward the role of Google Translate in English learning aid. This chapter presents and discusses the background of the study, the research question, the objective of the study, the significance of the study, the scope of the study, and the definition of key terms.
1.1 Background of the Study
Google Translate (GT) as one of the products provided by Google has become a popular translation tool for language students. As English is still considered a foreign language in Indonesia, many Indonesian students, even college students appear to use GT to help them in learning English. This tool tends to help the students to get the translation quickly and easily. Since the early 2000s machine translation has been available. As one of the technological
advances in IT (Information Technology), GT (Google Translate) has become an integral part of students who need translation services. In the past, students learned only to use books and searched for word translations with dictionaries, but now they can translate reading easily from Bahasa into other languages or other languages into Bahasa by using the internet.
Translation according to Newmark (1988: 5) is"rendering the meaning of a text into another language in the way that the author intended the text". The
concept of translation expressed by Newmark emphasizes that translation is not only transferring messages from the source language into the target language but must understand the target language and the intent that the author wants to convey
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so that errors do not occur. The same thing was expressed by Roger T. Bell defined translation as "Translation is the expression in another language (or target language) of what has been expressed in another, source language, preserving semantic, and stylistic equivalences."(1991: 5).
Catford uses a linguistic approach in viewing translation activities and he defines it as "the replacement of textual material in one language (SL) by
equivalent textual material in another language (TL)", that is (replacing text material in the source language with textual material that is equivalent in
language. target), (1965: 20). Referring to Catford's opinion, it can be concluded that the essence of translation is to transfer the source language to the target language as well as the original language.
In line with Catford, Nida and Taber define translation as "The translation consists of playing in the closest natural equivalent containment language to the message in the original language, in terms of first meaning and second in style."
(Nida and Taber, 1983: 12). When diverting the message into the target text, the translator needs to find the closest and reasonable equivalent of meaning
according to the meaning in the source language.
In this day and age, translation has a very important role, especially in the academic world which uses a lot of foreign language literature, for example, English which is often an obstacle for academics that have a poor understanding of English. Therefore, one of the applications of translation by utilizing
technology is the use of google translate or a translation machine with the google application which can be used to divert messages from foreign languages into
3
Indonesian. This translation machine is very helpful for translating foreign languages into Indonesia.
Although the results of the translation using Google Translate can provide an overview of the text, it cannot provide an accurate translation. However, based on previous surveys, many students rely on Google Translate to translate the material into English to understand. Based on the research, students know that the translation of the results from Google Translate for a sentence is not always exactly what the text wants and the original context in which the sentence exists.
They know this from their own experiences when the material they understand is being discussed in class. Based on these conditions, the researcher examines to all levels how students perceive the role of Google Translate in English learning aid.
This study was conducted at MA AL- ITTIHAD Poncokusumo. Located at Jl. Raya Belung No. 1 Poncokusumo. The researcher chose the students of this school as the subjects based on the consideration. In this study, the researcher used the eleventh Bahasa class as a sample in research. The researcher to be glad conducted qualitative research under the title "Senior High School Students' Perceptions on the Role of Google Translate in English Learning Aid."
1.2 Research Question
Based on the background above, the question of this study can be formulated as follows:
1. What are the perceptions of senior high school students about the role of Google Translate in English learning aid?
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2. How is the role of Google Translate in higher student level, middle student level, and lower student level?
1.3 The Objective of the Study
Based on the research questions, the main purpose of this study are:
1. To know the senior high school in MA AL-ITTIHAD
Poncokusumo perceptions toward the role of Google Translate in English learning aid.
2. To know the role of Google Translate in higher student level, middle student level, and lower student level.
1.4 Significant of the Study
This research is expected to be valuable information and contribution to the teaching and learning process. It is expected to be worthwhile information.
Then for the English teacher, it is expected to give alternative contributions and information about the learning aids in teaching especially for senior high school students.
1.5 Scope of the Study
The study mainly highlights the senior high school students’ perceptions on the role of Google Translate in English learning aid. This study will be focused on students’ perceptions on the role of Google Translate in English learning aid. And this was conducted at the eleventh class of Bahasa of MA AL- ITTIHAD Poncokucumo Malang.
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1.6 Definition of Key Terms
The following clarifies some terms used in the research to avoid ambiguity as well as misunderstanding of terms.
1.6.1 Google Translate
Google Translate is one of the products provided by Google that has become a popular translation tool. Google Translate is usually used by students when they could not understand the foreign language mean. It uses in many devices such as mobile phones, laptops, computers, or tablets. In this case, Google Translate as a learning aid for Senior High School students MA AL-ITTIHAD Poncokusumo Malang.
1.6.2 Perception
Perception is what immediately experienced by a person. Practically, the perception here refers to students' perception and the senior high school students’
perceptions on the role of Google Translate in English learning aid at the eleventh class of MA AL ITTIHAD Poncokusumo Malang.
1.6.3 Learning Aid
Learning aid is something intended to enhance learning and retention by the learner.
33 CHAPTER VI
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
The following section is devoted to present the conclusion and suggestion about the research finding and the discussion.
6.1 Conclusion
Overall findings showed that students have a positive perception towards the role of Google Translate in English learning aid. The findings suggest that the students have enjoyment in using Google Translate and Google Translate is easy to use.
Students agreed that Google Translate could help them in learning English and they have willing in using Google Translate as an alternative way to learn English.
Besides, most of the students also agreed that Google Translate was easy to use. Even as an increasing number of studies in recent literature have
attempted to address the lack of empirical research in Google Translate, more research needs to be done to get a complete picture of how Google Translate can contribute to meaningful and effective language learning. Therefore, this study provides several suggestions for further research on the same topic.
6.2 Suggestion
Google Translate basically can be used not only for translating. This application can also be used to learn sounds or pronunciation. For senior high school students, especially Bahasa major, Google Translate is most often used to
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help the process of translating from English to Indonesia. They do not need to open a dictionary manual which is more time-consuming when compared to using Google Translate.
However, students must understand the system working of Google Translate; namely translating word by word, so that they can overcome their weaknesses and produce an accurate translation. They must correct the translation by paying attention to grammar and word choice as well as various other
considerations such as grammar, idioms, and slang.
So, the use of Google Translate must be followed by mastery of grammar and knowledge of the context of the translated text. Taking into account the results of this study, namely senior high school students' perceptions on the role of Google Translate in English learning aid is positive.
Then, for further research, it is recommended to be able to analyze in- depth the results of translations using Google Translate by students. This is to provide feedback and consideration of the perception itself.
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